Single lever control



Nov. 30, 1965 F. T. IRGENS SINGLE LEVER CONTROL Filed March l2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (AM, wwf-M Nov. 30, 19,65 F. T. lRGENs 3,220,281

SINGLE LEVER CONTROL Filed March 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 57 L' 24'/ s ,1 fr r j; INVENTOR. ,5. v /VA/ /efA/f E I BY United States Patent O Delaware Filed Mar. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 351,416 4 Claims. (Cl. 74-4'72) The invention relates generally to single lever controls for operating an engine having a throttle and clutch means. More particularly, the invention relates to such controls in which a pivotally mounted single lever is -movable in both directions from a central position, through a shift range and then through a speed range. In such devices, it is desirable to eliminate or at least minimize throttle advance during movement of the control lever through the shift ranges to prevent shifting action at unduly high speeds.

The invention provides a linkage which interconnects a single control lever with a rocker arrn connectable to the throttle of an engine for control thereof and which includes an angular lost motion arrangement, together with a stationary cam having a surface which is engaged by the linkage. The cam surface and linkage comprise means for delaying swinging movement of the rocker arm to effect throttle advance until after passage of the control lever through the shift ranges.

In the preferred embodiment, the linkage comprises two links which are pivotally connected by a pin carrying a follower engaging the camming surface and which include interacting parts limiting angular lost motion between the links.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become known by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partially schematic, partially in section, and partially on a reduced scale, of a control which embodies various of the features of the invention, which is shown mounted in a boat and connected to an outboard motor; and which is illustrated with the control lever in neutral;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the components of the control device wherein the single control lever is intermediate the forward shift -range and the forward speed range; FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view simila-r to FIGURE 2 showing the components of the control device wherein the single control lever is at the high speed end of the forward speed range;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the components of the control device wherein the single control lever is located intermediate the rearward shift range and therearward speed range;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to 'FIGURES 2, 3, and 4 showing the components of the control device wherein the control lever is at the high speed end of the rearward speed range; and

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken through the device shown in FIGURE 1.

Shown in the drawings is a control device 11 which is mounted on the hull 13 of a boat and which is operably connected by cables 15 and 17 to the clutch 19 and throt- -tle 21, respectively, of an outboard motor 23 also supported by the hull 13. The control device 11 includes a housing or frame 2S, a single lever 27, and lmeans 29 (see FIGURE 6) mounting the Vsingle lever 27 for swinging movement relative to a central neutral position, through forward and reverse vshift ranges on opposite sides of the neutral position, and through speed ranges beyond the shift ranges. Any suitable means can be employed for pivotally mounting the lever 27.

3,Z2l,28l Patented Nov. 30, 1.965

Connected to the single lever 27 are means for actuating the throttle 21 and for controlling the clutch :19 for shifting into forward, reverse, or neutral. Various arrangements, well known in the art, both electrical and mechanical can be used for controlling the clutch, provided that the 4clutch is in neutral when the control lever is in its neutral position and provided that the clutch is respectively shifted into forward and rearward drives when the control lever is displaced through the respective forward and reverse shift ranges.

In the disclosed construction, the single lever includes a portion 31 having a cylindrical periphery and an interrupted tooth segment 33. The tooth segment 33 is intended for meshing engagement with an interrupted tooth segment 35 on a rocker arm 37 which is pivotally mounted by the housing at 38 and which is connected to the engine clutch 19 for control lthereof by means of the pushpull cable 15.

The means for controlling the engine throttle 21 comprises a linkage 39 interconnecting a forwardly projecting portion 41 of the single lever 27 and a rocker arm 43 which is pivotally carried by suitable means 44 on the housing 25 and which is connected to the engine throttle 21 by the push-pull cable 17. The throttle controlling means also includes, in addition to the linkage 39, a stationary cam 45 lwhich -coacts with the linkage 39 to swing the rocker arm y43 -to afford throttle advance after movement of the control lever 27 through the shift ranges.

More specifically, the linkage 39 comprises first and second links `49 and y51. The first link 49 is connected, at one end, to the forward part of the control lever portion 41 by means in the form of a pivot pin 53. At its other end, the first link 49 is pivotally connected to an intermediate part 55 on the second link 51 by means affording angular lost motion therebetween. In the disclosed construction, such means take the form of a pivot pin 57 which carries a follower in the form of a roller 59 for a purpose still to be explained. At its rear end, the second link 51 is pivotally connected to the rocker arm 43 at a point `spaced from the means 44 pivotally mounting the rocker arm on the housing 25 by means in the form of a pin 61.

Means are provided on the links 49 and 51 to limit the extent of angular lost motion therebetween comprising a pair of spaced ears or tabs 63 and 65 on Ian intermediate part 67 -of the rst 'link 49 and a part 69 of the second link 51 which projects forwardly of the pivot pin 57 and is engageable with the tabs 63 and 65.

The stationary cam 45 is mounted Ion the housing by suitable means and includes means for displacing the rocker -arm 43 through said second link 51 in response to displacement by the control lever 27 of the rst link 49. In the disclose-d construction, such means takes the form of a rearwardly open, hyperbolically shaped, camming surface 71 which is engaged by the 'aforementioned roller 59.

In operation, when the control lever 27 is initially swung forward, i.e., to the right in the drawings and through the forward shift range to the position shown in FIGURE 2, the first link 49 is rocked in a clockwise direct-ion about the pivot or pin 57 which is located by means of engagement of the roller 59 at the -apex or bottom of the camming surface 71. Thus, during such travel through the shift range, there is no displacement of the throttle 21 due to lost 4angular movement between links` 49 and 51.

However, when the control lever 27 enters into the forward speed range, the ear or tab 63 is engaged by the projecting part 69 of the second link 51 to prevent further angular lost motion between the links 49 and 51. Consequently, the rst and second links now act as a unitary member pivotally connected, at one end, t-o the pin 53 which traverses a circular path Iin response to disp1acement of the control lever 27. Intermediate its ends, the temporarily unitary member supports the roller 59 in engagement with the cam surface 71, and, at i-ts other end, is connected to the pin 61 which is traversable through another circular arc. As a result, the temporarily rigid linkage 39 is guided for clockwise movement as seen in FIGURE 3 and for movement of the link 51 to the left, as also seen in FIGURE 3, thereby rocking the arm 43 in a clockwise direction to advance the throttle 19.

When the control lever 27 is swung rearwardly or in a counterclockwise direction in the forward speed grange, engagement of the roller 59 with the cam surface 71 causes the first and second links 49 and 51 to be temporarily retained in rigid relation until the roller 59 reaches the apex or bottom of the camming surface 71. At this point, the throttle has been returned to idle. Continued movement of the control lever 27 in the counterclockwise direction through the forward shift range results in disengagement of the tab 63 from the projecting part 69 of the -second link 51 and permits angular lost motion between the links 49 and 51 until the parts are again as shown in FIGURE 1. Rearward or counterclockwise movement of the control lever from its neutral position through the rearward shift and speed ranges and ret-urn movement to the neutral position is accomplished in generally the same manner as explained in respect to forward shitisng and speed control and as shown in FIGURES 4 an It is to be especially noted that the shape of the camming surface serves to retain the links 49 and S1 in rigid assembly during throttle advancing and throttle decreasing movement in both speed ranges.

It is also to be noted that there is no advance of the throttle during movement of the control lever in the shift ranges.

Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A single lever control comprising a frame, a control lever, means pivotally mounting said control lever on said frame, a rocker arm adapted to be connected to the throttle of an eng-ine, means pivotally mounting said rocker arm on said frame, a linkage comprising pivotally connected rst and second links, means on said connected links for limiting angular lost motion between said links, and means adapted for engaging -a camming surface, means pivotally connecting said linkage and said lever, means pivotally connecting said linkage and said rocker arm, and a stationary camming plate on said frame, said plate including a camming surface engaged by said means adapted for engagement thereof and comprising means for displacing said means pivotally connecting s-aid rocker arm and said linkage about said means pivotally mounting said rocker arm to thereby rock said rocker arm in response to displacement by said control lever of said means pivotally connecting said linkage and said lever.

2. A` single lever control comprising a frame, a control lever, means pivotally mounting said control lever on said trame for movement in one direction from a neutral setting, means connected to said control lever and adapted to be connected to the clutch of an engine for actuation thereof in response to initial movement of said lever in said one direction from said neutral setting, a rocker arm adapted to be connected to the throttle of an engine, means pivotally mounting said rocker arm on said frame to vary the setting of the engine throttle in response to rocker arm movement, .a linkage comprising pivotally connected first and second links, means on said connected links for limiting angular lost motion between said connected links, and means adapted for engaging a camming surface, means pivotally connecting said linkage land said lever, means pivotally connecting said linkage and said rocker arm, and a stationary camming plate on said frame, said plate including a camming surface engaged by said means adapted for engagement thereof and comprising means for displacing said means pivotally connecting said rocker arm and said linkage about said means pivotally mounting -said rocker arm to thereby rock said rocker arm in response to post initial movement in said one direction by said control lever of said means pivotally connecting said linkage and said lever.

3. A single lever control comprising -a housing, a control lever, means pivotally mounting said control lever on said housing, a rocker arm adapted to be connected t-o the throttle of an engine, means pivotally mounting said rocker arm on said housing to vary the setting of the engine throttle in response to rocker arm movement, a linkage comprising a first link, .a second link, means pivotally connecting a iirst point on said first link and said lever, means pivotally connecting a second point on said first link and a first point on said second link, means pivotally connecting a -second point on said second link and said rocker arm, means on said first and second links for limiting angular movement therebetween, and means on said linkage adapted for engaging a camming surface, and a stationary camming plate on sai-d housing, said plate including a camming surface engaged .by said means on said linkage and comprising means for displacing said means pivotally connecting said rocker arm and said second link about said means pivotally mounting said rocker arm t-o thereby rock said rocker arm in response to displacement by said control lever of said means pivotally connecting said irst link and said lever.

4. A single lever control comprising a housing, a control lever, means pivotally mounting said control lever on said housing for movement from a neutral setting, means connected to said contr-ol lever and adapted to be connected to the clutch of an engine for actuation thereof in response to initial movement of said lever from said neutral setting, a rocker arm adapted to be connected to the throttle of an engine, means pivotally mounting said rocker arm on said housing to vary the setting of the engine throttle in response to rocker arm movement, a linkage comprising a irst link, a second link, mean-s pivotally connecting one end of said first link and said lever, means pivotally connecting the other end of said rst link and a point intermediate the ends of said second link, means pivotally connect-ing said rocker arm and the end of said secon-d -link remote from said rst link, means on said first link intermediate the ends thereof and on the other end of said second link for limiting angular movement between said links, and means -on said linkage coaxial with said means pivotally connecting said first and second links and adapted for engaging a camming surface, and a stationary camming plate on said housing, said plate 1ncluding a hyperbolically shaped camming surface engaged by said last mentioned means on said linkage and cornprising means for guiding displacement of said means pivotally connecting said rocker arm and said second llnk about said means pivotally mounting said' rocker arm to thereby rock said rocker arm in response to post-lnitlal movement by said control lever of said means pivotally connecting said linkage and said lever.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,460,693 2/ 1949 Hall 74-471 2,531,614 11/1950 De Pew 74-471 BROUGHTON G. DURHAM, Primary Examiner.

MILTON KAUF-MAN, Examiner. 

2. A SINGLE LEVER CONTROL COMPRISING A FRAME, A CONTROL LEVER, MEANS PIVOTLLY MOUNTING SAID CONTROL LEVER ON SAID FRAME FOR MOVEMENT INONE DIRECTION FROM A NEUTRAL SETTING, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL LEVER AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE CLUTCHOF AN ENGINE FOR ACTUATION THEREOF IN RESPONSE TO INITIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER IN SAID ONE DIRECTION FROM SIAD NEUTRAL SETTING, A ROCKER ARM ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE THROTTLE OF AN ENGINE, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID ROCKER ARMK ON SAID FRAME TO VARY THE SETTING OF THE ENGINE THROTTLE IN RESPONSE TO ROCKER ARM MOVEMENT, A LINKAGE COMPRISING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED FIRST AND SECOND LINKS, MEANS ON SIAD CONNECTED LINKS FOR LIMITING ANGULAR LOST MOTION BETWEEN SAID CONNECTED LINKS, AND MEANS ADAPTED FOR ENGAGING A CAMMING SURFACE, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID LINKAGE AND SAID LEVER, MEANS PIVOTALLY COINNECTING SAID LINKAGE AND SAID ROCKER ARM, AND A STATIONARY CAMMING PLATE ON SAID FRAME, SAID PLATE INCLUDING A CAMMING SURFACE ENGAGED BY SAID MENS ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMENT THEREOF AND COMPRISINGG MEANS FOR DISPLACING SAID MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID ROCKER ARM AND SAID LINKAGE ABOUT SAID MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID ROCKER ARM TO THEREBY ROCK SAID ROCKER ARM IN RESPONSE TO POST INITIAL MOVEMENT IN SAID ONE DIRECTION BY SAID CONTROL LEVER OF SAID MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID LINKAGE AND SAID LEVERL. 